Improvement in machines for making baskets



PATENT QFFIGE.

L. WHEELER BEECHER, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICILT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING BASKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,639, dated January 20, 1874; application filed October To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, L.WHEELER BEECHER, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Machines for Making Bas kets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full,{clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and

Figure 1, an end View; Fig. 2, a side view 5 and in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, detached views.

This invention relates to an improvement in machine -for the manufacture of baskets, such as are formed from splints of wood and other thin material, and known as ffruit-baskets 5 and the invention consists in aform upon which to bend the splints, combined with a hoop to sit over thesplints, and secure the splints to the form, so as to be set into the machine for completion.

A is the former, upon which the splints are bent, and isof dish shape, as denoted in solid black, Fig. 5, the exterior of which corresponds to the interior of the basket, as seen in Fig. 6, and provided with several ribs or projections, a, arranged so that the strips will lie between the said projections. For convenience, this former is placed upon a holder, B, vthe splints arranged thereon, and then a hoop, C', placed over the splints, bearing'them` down upon the former A, and so as to hold" the splints and former together, that in this condition they may be introduced into the former for the completion of the basket. C is the head, upon which the basket is to be completed, and is arranged upon a shaft, D, so as to be easily revolved. (Here shownv as by means of a crank, Gf, through gears F F.) The rear of the head is divided into two parts, d b, the part b being stationary upon the head, and the part d hinged thereto, as seen in,` Fig. 4. The part d is moved by a wedge, f, which, when forced outward, spreads or expands that portion of the head by throwing the part d outward. At the other end of the wedge-shaped piece f, the edge extends over so as to meet the end of the wedgef, so that the end of the band introduced between the wedge f and the part b will be held flrmly, so that when the head is revolved the band will be wound thereon. The wedge is moved out and in by means of a disk, E, outside the head, having a camshaped slot, g, into which a pin, h, from the wedge extends, so that by turning the disk E he wedge is moved out or in, as the ease may Before putting the former with the splints onto the head C, the strip which is to form the band at the top is iirst introduced to the clamping device, and the head turned once around, winding the band over the parts b d, thepart d having been thrown out to its full extent by the clamping of the end of thestrip ormovement of the wedge. This forms the band for the inside of the basket; then the former with in Fig. 7, and there clamped by a disk, I, hung K, by means of which the disk is brought up against the bottom of the basket, clamping it upon the former, the disk arranged so as to revolve with the head, the splints lying over the first round of the band; then the head is rotated, again windin g the band outside the splints, thus having a continuous band, first inside and then outside the splints, as seen in Fig. 8, the ends of the splints denoted in solid black. During the winding of the band or hoop, a clamp, N, is brought down upon the hoop by means of a lever,M. This holds the band so as to insure its being drawntight, and to avoid the necessity of the operator holding the band in the fingers, and also to guide or keep the band in proper line around the bas ket, the band running against a shoulder on the clamp. When the band is wound, it is nailed to secure it to the basket inthe usual manner. This done, the clamp N and disk I are thrown back, and the head contracted by drawing back the wedge f, as before described,

ket is taken from the machine completed.

I claim as my invention- Y 1. The former A, combined with theV hoop C', to hold the splints in their proper relative position during the process of manufacture, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the revolving head C, the wedge f, operated substantially as dethe splints is placed onto the head C, as seen` upon a lever, L, connected to a handle-lever, y

allowing the part d to fall back; then the`bas- 

